Book Reviews

The book, not coincidentally, comes as Sen. Kamala Harris is expected to launch her presidential campaign in the coming weeks.

Kamala Harris' 'The Truths We Hold' Demonstrates What's Wrong With Campaign Books

1:10pm January 08, 2019

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Though not a literary masterpiece, the California senator's book is effective as a campaign tool: She makes an argument for a chance at the presidency — like the prosecutor she is.

Cover detail of The Water Cure, by Sophie Mackintosh

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Suspenseful 'Water Cure' Dips Into 2019's Dystopian Zeitgeist

2:42pm January 07, 2019

by Maureen Corrigan

Sophie Mackintosh's debut novel centers on four women living in a decrepit hotel on an isolated island. Critic Maureen Corrigan says The Water Cure is "everything this age seems to be demanding."

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'Amsterdam Noir' Finds Its Darkness Inside Us

7:00am January 06, 2019

by Gabino Iglesias

Akashic Books' Noir series continues with a visit to Amsterdam — and finding the shadowy side of a peaceful city where crime is low proves a challenge for editors René Appel and Josh Pachter.

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'The Disasters' Could Be The Beginning Of A Great Story

7:02am December 19, 2018

by Caitlyn Paxson

M.K. England's new novel starts with a bang: A group of space-school rejects must save the universe. It never quite delivers on that premise, but the characters are so appealing, you'll want more.

Cardi B; Ethan Hawke in First Reformed; Sandra Oh in Killing Eve.

'Fresh Air' Favorites: Our Critics Pick 2018's Best Books, Movies, Music And TV

2:53pm December 18, 2018

Find everything our critics loved this year, all in one place: Maureen Corrigan's book list, movie pairings from Justin Chang, music recommended by Ken Tucker and David Bianculli's must-see TV list.

Ben Whishaw voices the perpetually well-meaning bear in Paddington 2.

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2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

1:41pm December 17, 2018

by John Powers

Each year, Fresh Air critic-at-large John Powers finds himself haunted by the books, movies and shows that he loved but wasn't able to review on the air.

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Code Switch's 2018 Book Guide

10:08am December 12, 2018

We checked in with authors, poets and great literary minds to see what books they think everyone should read this holiday season.

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For December, 3 Romantic Holiday Escapes

7:00am December 11, 2018

by Maya Rodale

Get away from holiday stress and crummy weather with our romance picks for December. We've got great contemporary stories and a charming inversion of that classic Regency trope, the forced engagement.

Click here to browse more than 300 recommended titles in NPR's 2018 Book Concierge.

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Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

4:51pm December 10, 2018

by Maureen Corrigan

Fresh Air's book critic recommends her 10 favorite books of the year, including The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai's sweeping story about the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

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Cover of The Museum of Modern Love (Credit: Emily Bogle/NPR)

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Art Restores The Soul In 'Museum Of Modern Love'

12:00pm December 10, 2018

by Heller McAlpin

Performance artist Marina Abramovic is the still point at the center of Heather Rose's new novel, as a motley cast of characters come to see her sitting at a table in New York's Museum of Modern Art.